Knitted fabric



y 1939- E. s. SACHSENMAIER 2,1 5,012

KNITTED FABRI 0 Filed Nov. 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR ERVIN s. SACHSENMAIER BY HIS ATTORNEYS July 4, 1939.

E. s. SACHSENMAIER I KNITTED FABRI C Filed Nov. 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 03 6f INVENTOR c:l.4.-. ITIRVIN S. SACHSENMAIER BY HIS ATTORNEYS E. s. SACHSENMIAIER 2,165,012

KNITTED FABRIC July 4, 1939..

Filed Nov. 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR v ERVIN S. SACHSENMAIER BY HIS ATTORNEYS July 4, 1939. I E. s. SACHSENMAIER VE OR 5. SACHSENMAIER BY H S ATTORNEYS Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES KNITTED FABRIC Ervin S. Sachsenmaier, Charlotte, N. 0., assignor to Larkwood Silk Hosiery Mills, Inc., Charlotte, N. 0., a corporation of Delaware Application November 29, 1937, Serial No. 177,087

1 Claim.

This invention relates to knitted fabrics and to a method of knitting such fabrics and it is an object of this invention to provide an improved fabric knit wholly of an elastic thread which will remain substantially fiat and not curl to any greater degree than fabric knit of non-elastic yarn and it is also an object of this invention to provide a method of knitting such a fabric. It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved stocking with an elastic section above the knee which stretches to fit the wearer and which yields when the knee of the wearer isbent to prevent displacement or injury of the stocking and insures the stocking being kept in an unwrinkled condition.

In the drawings in which embodiments of this invention are shown Fig. l'is a plan view, drawn on an enlarged scale, of the loops of a small section of fabric knit in accordance with this invention, the fabric being shown as held in tension as by a welt bar with the rows at the bottom knit first and the fabric being turned over with respect to its position during knitting;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the loops when free of tension;

- Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figi 1 showing the loops of the fabric of Fig. 2 aligning walewise when subjected to walewise tension only;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the loops when subjected to tension in the direction of the courses;

Fig. 5 is a view showing the stretching ofthe elastic fabric when applied to over-the-knee stockings with the knee bent and not bent;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a fabric in accordance with this invention of modified construction;

Fig. 7 is a. view similar to Fig. 1 of the fabric of Fig. 6 when freed of tension;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views similar to Fig. 1 of further fabric of modified construction made in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and showing fabric in accordance with this invention applied to a different type of stocking.-

In the drawings an elastic fabric in accordance with this invention is illustrated in an application or use for which it is particularly advantageous, that is, in providing an elastic section in a stocking at a point above the knee of the wearer. Thus, in Figure 5 stockings I are shown having the usual leg portion 2, a circular garter 3 at the top of the stocking and between the garter 3 and 55 the stocking leg 2 is a section of an elastic fabric 4 which comes just above the knee of the wearer and which provides a sufiicient stretch to permit of the knee being bent without imposing undesired strain upon the fabric of the stocking leg. and without drawing the garter 3 down below the 5 knee. The elastic fabric 4 also stretches to fit the wearer comfortably. When the knee is straightened the elastic fabric 4 contracts, gathering up all slack and returning the stocking to a tight or snug condition preventing bagginess 10 at the knee and wrinkles below the knee. An elastic fabric section 4 to be satisfactory must lie substantially fiat and have but little tendency to curl, otherwise the stocking loses much of its attractiveness when exposed for sale. Fabric 15 knit entirely of elastic thread has previously been unsuitable for this use because of its tendency to curl but when knit in accordance with this invention the fabric lies substantially flat and possesses a satisfactory appearance because 20 it has but little tendency to curl.

The small section of the fabric in Figure 1 is shown as knit on a flat knitting machine, the courses of non-elastic yarn at the bottom of the figure being the courses which are knit first and 25 to which the garter 3, as shown in Figure 2, is attached by stitching or other suitable means. The fabric section, shown in Figure 1, comprises courses H and I2 knit of a non-elastic yarn, such as the usual yarn of which a stocking top or welt 30 is knit. Then a course I3 is knit of the same .yarn and the loops thereof at selected needles are transferred all in one direction, as by the usual picot bar, leaving the selected needles bare. For convenience the selected needles are shown as 35 the alternate needles but other needles may be chosen. The following course I4 is then knit of an elastic thread in the usual manner but, as the alternate needles were bare, the bights of elastic thread taken by the alternate needles are .not drawn through loops formed at the knitting of the previous course l3. The bights of elastic thread are then transferred from the alternate needles, the transfers being shown in the drawings as made in the same direction as the trans- 45 fers made in the previous course l3, and as the bights of elastic thread are not interlooped with loops in the same needle wale of the previously knit course I3 the transfer of the bights of elastic thread is readily made, the tension on the elastic 50 thread being insufiicient to cause the points on the picot bar to be displaced with respect to the intervening needles when effecting transfer of the bights of elastic thread thereto. Following the knitting and transfers in course l4 a number of courses, as courses l5, I8 and H, are also knit of the elastic thread with the bights being transferred in each course in the same direction from in front of the same alternate needles as in course it, the bights forming straight lengths of elastic thread extending from wale a to wale c," from wale c to male .e and from wale e to wale U, the wales of the elastic thread corresponding to the wales b, d and j of the non-elastic thread being entirely removed. Following course H a plurality of courses, as courses l8, l9,'20 and 2|, are knit of the elastic thread with the transfers of the bights of elastic thread in each course from in front of the same alternate needles being made in the opposite direction to that of the previous transfers so that while the wales b, d and f are still omitted the straight lengths of the elastic thread connecting the walesa and c, c and e and e and g extend in the opposite direction to those of the previous courses of the elastic thread. Following the completion of course 2|, a plurality of-courses, as courses 22, 23, 24 and 25 are knit of the elastic thread with the bights'of the elastic thread being transferred in each course from in front of the same alternate needles but in the opposite direction to the transfer of the bights in the courses I8 to 2|, that is, in the same direction as the transfer in the courses ll to II. Following the completion of course 25 a plurality of courses, as'courses 28, 21, 28, 29 and 33 are knit of the elastic thread with the bights of the elastic thread in front of the same alternate needles being transferred in each course in the same direction as the bights of the elastic thread transferred in courses I8 to 2|. The-elastic fabric is thus made up of a plurality of groups of courses I of the elastic thread having bights of the thread transferred in each course from in front of alternate needles to adjacent needles, the direction of the transfer changing in the successive groupsof courses. The width of the elastic fabric may be made as desired by varying the number of groups of courses knit and by varying the number of courses in the groups, Following the completion of the last course of the elastic thread a nonelastic yarn suitable for knitting of the top or bodyof the stocking is introduced and courses,

as courses 3!, 32, 33, etc., of the stocking top or leg, are knit in the usual manner but inasmuch as there are no loops on the needles which knit the wales b, d and f, the loops formed at these wales in the course 3| are connected to the loops of the adjacent wales. The succeeding courses may appear as the usual knit fabric, such as shown in courses 32 and 33.

A fabric knit of an-elastic thread and having I the bights of the elastic thread transferred from in front of alternate or selected needles in each course, and in opposite directions in successive groups of courses, when released from the tension placed thereon by the welt hook bar during knitting will have the loops of the elastic fabric distorted or drawn sideways by the lengths of the elastic thread extending between the wales, the loops of the fabric then having the appearance as shown in Figure 2 and the length of the fabric, both walewise and coursewise, being decreased. The lengths of the elastic thread extending to the right in courses I to I! draw the loops to the left while the oppositely directed lengths in courses [8 to 2| draw the loops to the right. This V reversing of the direction in which the loops are drawn gives to the fabric a herring-bone effect when the fabric is not under tension. It also, as shown in Figure 3, permits of the elast c fabr c an additional elongation over what wouldbe expected of such a fabric because as tension is applied to extend the fabric walewise the lengths of elastic thread extending between the 'wales permit the loops to straighten out in a. walewise direction, as shown in Fig. 3, before any real elongation of the loops took place. The fabric also, because of the straight lengths connecting the loops in the different wales, permits of an extensive coursewise stretch of the fabric, as shown in Figure 4, the straight lengths of the elastic thread of thediiferentgroups of courses tending to become parallel as the coursewise stretch of the fabric is increased. Elasticity in a walewise direction of the elastic fabric permits of the "to 4 as comprising groups of courses knit of elastic thread and having the bights of elastic thread in front of the alternate needles transferred in opposite directions in the successive groups of courses, the elastic fabric may be knit in other ways, a modified construction of the elastic fabric being shown in Figures 6 and '7 in which the group of courses M to 11' which have the bights of elastic thread transferred in one direction is separated from the group of courses Hi to 2| which have the bights of elastic thread transferred in the opposite direction by a group of courses, as l I, I2 and I3! which are plain knit in a usual way, without loops orbights being transferred, and a second group of courses I4, l and itof plain knit elastic fabric is interposed between the group of courses l8 to 2| and the group of courses 22' to 25' which have their bights of elastic thread transferred in the. direction opposite to the direction of transfer for courses I! to 2|. In the knitting of this modiflcation care must be taken to insure the registry of the picot points with the needles in effecting the transfer afterknitting plain fabric of the elastic thread. This arrangement provides a fabric having the loops of the successive groups of courses in which the bights of elastic thread are transferred distorted in opposite directions when the tension is released on the fabric and these portions of the fabric are joined by the plain knit elastic fabric of the courses II to l3, and Il to It respectively. The loops of the courses in which the bights of elastic thread are transferred appear to be larger than the loops of the courses of plain knit fabric and the possible elongation walewise of these groups of courses is greater than of the groups of plain knit courses. There is a tendency for the elastic fabric of the plain knit courses to curl slightly when released from. tension but as the plain knit fabric consists of groups of a small number of courses the amount of curl at each group of courses is small and notobjectionable. When this fabric is used in a stocking the application of tension to the elastic fabric upon the bending of the knee causes the sections of plain fabric to straighten out, that is, to give up their curl and for the groups of courses in which transfer has taken place to straighten walewise, as in the previous modification, so that considerable elongation of the fabric 6 to 9, the selected needles from which the bights walewise takes place before actual stretching of the loop courses occurs. This additional stretchingor yielding contributes to the servlceability of the fabric when inserted between a stocking leg and a garter, as in Figure 5.

While the transfer of the bights of the elastic thread has been shown as being made in opposite directions in successive groups of courses the bights of elastic thread may be transferred in opposite directions in successive courses as shown in Fig. 8 in which the bights of elastic thread are transferred from alternate needles to the adjacent needle at the left in courses 44 and 46 and to the adjacent needle at the right in courses 45 and 41. For the purposes of illustration the elastic fabric is shown in connection with a group of plain knit courses 3'! to 43 which provide a width of plain fabric of sufiicient width to permit of the garter 3 attached thereto to be turned, as in rolling the stocking, without causing the garter 3 to be folded on to the elastic fabric and, by binding the same, prevent its proper operation. While it is preferred, as shown in this and the previous modifications, to make a transfer of the loops at the selected needles in the last course, as course 43 of the non-elastic yarn before the courses of the elastic fabric begin, such transfer is not necessary as the transfers may be made first in the first course, as course 44 of the elastic fabric, if care be taken to align the picot points with the needles. This arrangement of courses gives a walewise rib effect and the total possible elongation is the same for the same number of courses as in the modification of Fig. l. The distortion of the fabric when free of tension is eliminated.

In the modifications previously described the bights transferred have been in front of the same selected needles in all courses but the selected needles can be changed in successive courses. Thus, in Fig.9 the loops of the non-elastic yarn in Wales 17, d and f of course are transferred to the right and the loops of the elastic thread on the needles which knit the Wales I), d and f are also transferred to the right in courses 53 and 55 while the loops of elastic thread on the needles which knit the wales a, o, e, and g are transferred to the left in courses 52 and 54.

Where the distortion of the fabric when not under tension is not objectionable the bights or loops of elastic thread can be transferred always in one direction, as in the groups of courses of Figs. 1 to 4, but as the effect of the distortion increases with the number of courses the constructions in which the direction of the transfer is changed are pr eferable for use in stockings. In the modifications shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and or loops are transferred are the alternate needles but the invention is not restricted to such an arrangement of the selected needles as other arrangements of the selected needles may be used. Thus in Fig. the transfer is shown as from the needle which knits the wales c and f of the plain .the bights are transferred, as'wales a, d and g.

In each of the modifications described it will be noted that transfers are made in a number of successive courses and that there is a bight which is transferred to an adjacent needle or a bight which is formed about the needle to 'which the transfer is made, the bight being formed on a bare needle and not drawn through a loop of a previously knit course. It will also be noted that on each needle to which a transfer is made during the knitting of the elastic thread there is a bight of the elastic thread and a completed loop which are joined by a short length of elastic thread which extends through a loop of the previously knit course so they tend to counteract any tendency to curling caused by contraction of the elastic thread.

In Fig. 5 fabric knit in accordance with this invention is shown applied to an "over-the-knee stocking but it is to be noted that the invention is not limited to such type of stocking as it may be used in full length stockings, as shown in Fig. 11, in which a section 4 of elastic fabric is placed between the stocking leg 2 and the shadow welt section 6 in order to provide the elasticity necessary to relieve the stocking leg of strain caused by movements of the wearer and to aid in holding the stocking unwrinkled. It will also be noted that the elastic fabric may be used at other places in the stocking and for purposes other than in hosiery.

I claim:

A stocking having a top section comprising successive plain knit courses of inelastic thread, an immediately following course of inelastic thread ,having spaced transferred stitches, a group of successive courses of anelastic thread having spaced stitches transferred from the same wales in one direction and a succeeding group of successive courses of said elastic thread havingspaced stitches transferred in the opposite direction.

ERVIN S. SACHSENMAIER. 

